2YB Opened

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 42, 3 May 1929, Page 7

2YB Opened

Pro posals Outlined BROADCASTING station 2YB, New Plymouth, was officially opened last night. Its success may be judged from the fact that the general manager of the Broadcasting Company reported from Sumner, Christchurch, that he had perfect reception there. During the ceremony, Mr. J. Ball, on behalf of the Broadcasting Company, made an announcement ‘ which Mr. E. Payne, president of the North Taranaki Radio Society characterised as » arking an important milestone in thé history of radio in New Zealand. Mf, Ball said 2XB was not intended full broadcast service, but rather to fill a gap until such time as some-’ thing better was available. The greatly desired development was, he believed,.in the lap of the very near future. The general manager of the company had visioned a national broadcast system in which there would be in the chief provincial centres throughout the Dominion a chain of efficient relay stations linked with the’ four main stations. It was to be-a veritable model of completeness and. efficiency. The general manager had. already submitted for the consideration of the Government an outline of the. whole scheme. Mr. Ball asked listeners to visualise a scheme of efficient stations at Napier, Hastings, Nelson, Greymouth, Timaru, Invercargill, Hamilton, ‘ew Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston nd Gisborne. All these stations would be connected by landlines, so that all would be in touch regardless of atmospheric conditions. The company’s policy was not limited to the technical side, he said, but it intended to work for an improvement of the programmes, and beyond these was a great field of national service of inestimable value to the community. It had been proved that the broadcasting of scientific instruction had enormously increased primary production in other countries. One of the most eminent authorities in the Dominion, Dr. Chilton, was at present engaged in investigating the possibilities of such a service.